"He left us as he arrived; fired with enthusiasm"

You would never write that about anyone for whom a reference or testimonial had been sought. Would you? There is no obligation in law to provide a reference although of course many jobs,especially those in critical sensitive sectors or those involving work with vulnerable people, won’t be offered unless the reference is received. And a compromise agreement for a departing employee might include a guarantee of a reference or testimonial.
An old judge a long time ago said that references should be "neither too laudatory or too bland". A reminder to stick to the facts which is why some employers use a reference questionnaire. And some employers in turn have a template they use to provide references.It’s an urban myth too that you cannot provide a negative reference. But beware of elephant traps awaiting. There is a duty when providing a reference to be "true and fair." The case of Mr Thour v Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust involved a reference – a wholly inaccurate one.He sued them for libel but lost because it was shown there was no malice intended(an important test).But the Thour case was a stark reminder about the need for accuracy. The Freedom of Information provides a further possible trigger which could put a reference into the public domain.
What’s your view? What was the best or worse reference you recall receiving? If you want a simple free word document with 11 tips and a profile of the Thour case drop me a line at trainingqed@aol.com